THE LOOP — Here's everything you need to know about this year's Thanksgiving Parade.
The 82nd annual parade sponsored by McDonald's will step off at 8 a.m. Thursday on State Street. Like its bigger cousin in New York, the parade will feature big cartoon floats and proceed along one of the city's main stretches of retail.
This is what to know before heading out:
What is it?
Originally called the Christmas Caravan, the Thanksgiving Parade rolled out in 1934 "to help lift the spirits of residents suffering through the Great Depression," according to the parade's website. It now features more than 5,000 participants.
An undated "Christmas Caravan" photo from the 1930s. [McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade]
When is it? Where is it?
The parade will last from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday. It steps off at State Street and Congress Parkway and proceeds north to Randolph Street. Here's the full route:
[McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade]
Who will be there?
The parade will feature thousands of participants including high school marching bands, the Harlem Globetrotters, actor David Arquette — this year's grand marshal — and floats depicting Hello Kitty, Tweety Bird, and Teddy the Turkey.
When should I get there?
The parade says guests start arriving between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on parade day. The corner of State and Adams is usually less busy than other stretches.
How about street closures?
State from Roosevelt Road to Congress — as well as stretches of Harrison, Balbo, Polk, 8th, 9th, and 11th streets near State will be closed from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Lake and Randolph will be closed around State from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
State from Congress to Randolph will be closed during the parade.
I can't go. Can I watch on TV?
Yes. WGN and WGN America will start broadcasting the parade at 8 a.m. Thursday.
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